Topic: 19th century ormolu and opaline glass French (I think) perfume bottle & question

[flying free]

I think I have that right?  It's 13.5cm tall x 7.5cm wide and has it's original stopper.   The base is opaline but the sides have been satinised (there are horizontal striations all round it and it does not feel  as *smooth* as say, the Carlo Moretti satin glass).  It's dead glamorous  :girlcheer: and sits with a French velvet box I have that has a buttoned silk interior and ormolu mounts and handle.
So a few questions please -
Is it French opaline?
How have the sides been satinised?
Is the ormolu brass?  
Can I clean it and should I?
Am I right in thinking 19th century and is it near the end of that period?
Many thanks
m

[flying free]

I took another tack with the research and found a book on google with some extracts.  In this is says for perfume bottles, opaline was popular from 1835 to 1870, satin glass from around 1880 and overlaid silver 1870's.  I took another look at the bottle tonight after looking at my photos.... I think all that metal is silver (I know the picture looks weird, at least on my monitor it looks gilt/brass and I can't tell you why, but once I took the top off the bottle, someone has had a little clean of the casing on the neck inside and it's definitely silver.
So I think it must date to around 1880 ish?
It definitely looks as though it has been cleaned in the past as it has the remains of that powder stuff in crevices. Should I have a go at cleaning it?
m

[Lustrousstone]

It's not silver, the corrosion is wrong. Green means a copper based metal, probably brass and possibly gilt over brass. So, no I wouldn't clean it. Silver goes black.

[flying free]

thanks... I did wonder why the pics came out like they do (son also said 'got to be bronze/copper to get that green' or something like that as I recall), but honestly the inside part of the neck metal bit has been polished and is silver? odd.  And there are the remains of that powder stuff used to polish things in all the crevices.  So I shall leave it and see what happens to the silver neck bit in time.
Any thoughts on the date and whether the glass is French opaline or not?
Many thanks Christine
m

[Carolyn Preston]

There is copper polish available (for use with copper bottomed pots). That might be what has been used in the past.

Carolyn

[Lustrousstone]

The interior could be chromed, as that's more resistant to corrosion and it would be in contact with the perfume

[flying free]

thanks Carolyn.  I'd never heard of copper polish.  Christine, how long has chromium plating been used?  I thought it would have been after this was made before they started chromium plating things.  Could it be silver plate?
thanks
m

[Lustrousstone]

Commercial electroplating has been around since the 1850s. It may not be chromium. To be honest I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't a Far Eastern import, not new but certainly 20th century. The glass finish worries me with its lines.

[Ivo]

looks absolutely consistent with French opaline from the style period the French call "Napoleon III" - meaning anytime 1860s/1870s, when quality and taste went down in favour of volume. The metal is probably Spelter, a special lightweight casting alloy made to look like bronze. True bronze is heavier and has more definition.
Nice little piece, attractive colour

[flying free]

Thank you both Christine and Ivo. Ivo I'm off to investigate spelter in more detail and I love your comment
'when quality and taste went down in favour of volume'  It is beautiful (looking at it now 140 years later), but I know what you mean.  It is missing it's three links round the neck of the metalwork and a chain it should hang on as well I think.
  I agree on the colour - it's gorgeous and whilst my photo doesn't show the base well, the base of the glass (mould?) is finished beautifully with decreasing concentric circles ending in a tiny circle in the middle.  No bumpy finish.
I've added some more pictures of the stopper (unwashed) and close up of the glass which hopefully will come out well.

Thanks again for all your help 
m